Korg Monotron

Korg Monotron Classic

The Monotron, released in 2010, is Korg's first foray into the world of
analog synthesis in nearly thirty years. Marketed as the
"Go-Anywhere Analog," the Monotron is roughly the size and
shape of a cassette tape (for those of you who know what that is). At
its core, the Monotron is a (very) basic, but fun, battery powered
monophonic analog synthesizer. It has one voltage-controlled oscillator
that produces a saw waveform, one voltage-controlled filter, and one
LFO.

Despite its apparent lack of sophistication, it is arguably quite
musical. The oscillator is controlled by a small one-octave ribbon
keyboard that spans a whopping 3.25 inches across the bottom of the
unit. Since playing melody lines on a caterpillar-sized ribbon
controller is haphazard at best, the Monotron is best suited for
external audio processing and sci-fi spaceship sounds. However, the
ribbon scale is adjustable, and the lowest setting scales the oscillator
to track the "keyboard" printed on the ribbon. This, along
with a little practice, should allow a player to perform simple melodies
on the instrument. The LFO, which, like the VCO, produces a saw waveform
that can be routed to modulate oscillator pitch or filter cutoff. The
speed of the LFO is indicated by a blinking LED inside the rate knob.

Now, on to what may be the biggest selling point on the synth: the
filter. Where to start? An entire book could be written on the
MS-10/MS-20 filter,
and it is difficult not to get long-winded about it. This
legendary filter, now reincarnated in the Monotron, is back with its
signature bite. Capable of self-oscillation, the celebrated 12 dB/oct
lowpass filter is remarkably versatile and can produce a wide range of
tonal variation. When paired with the aforementioned LFO, it is sure to
provide endless hours of exploration and fun (often at the expense of
others). "Thick" is the best term that can be used in
describing its character: rich with harmonics, it is full of squeaks,
gargles and howls just waiting to be unleashed through a quick jerk of
the peak (resonance) knob and various tampering with the cutoff knob.
An eighth-inch Aux input jack lets you apply the filter to any audio source too.
The most notable limitations of the Monotron are the lack of any
kind of VCA envelope generator (no ADSR here), memory and MIDI/USB options.

Korg Monotron Duo

The Classic Monotron has been followed up by three siblings: the
Monotron Duo, which adds a second VCO and X-MOD capabilities to the mix;
the Monotron Delay, which, in addition to its analog oscillator, filter,
and LFO, adds a (digital) "Space Delay"; and the Monotribe, which is
essentially an expanded Monotron with a VCO capable of producing not
just a saw wave, but also square and triangle waves. It also includes a
16-step sequencer and analog drum machine.

Korg Monotron Delay

The Monotron's simplicity, price (around $50), and size make it ideal
for anyone who wishes to learn the basic concepts of analog synthesis
without blowing even a modest budget. Sure, the Monotron may look like a
toy to some. But where else can you get a Korg MS-20 analog filter, and
then some, for around $50? It makes a perfect pocket synth/analog effect
unit. Being battery powered and equipped with a built-in speaker, you
can take it anywhere for processing audio, or just having fun creating
analog synth sounds. In fact, they are inexpensive enough that it could
be worth getting a couple, allowing for some polyphonic synth action or
processing. The little Monotron series are really a useful addition to
any musicians tool box...or pocket.

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